Don't Forget Me
by shortcrust pastry
Summary: Halloween-fic. Contest entry one-shot. Sasuke decides to play a Halloween trick on Hinata after she is forgotten by her friends. Romance & mild Horror, SasuHina


**CEPHISCO: **So I know this is short notice for changing a pen-name. But you would not believe the hell I've been through these past few update-less days … My entire broadband started going crazy and cut me in and out of the server. Then the whole thing crashed and I had to get the Geek Squad involved. For some reason, everything that I had open at the time it crashed – Facebook, YouTube, Fanfiction, dA, Tumblr – all went wild. By the time I got my PC back, my Facebook and dA account had deactivated themselves, YouTube locked my e-mail and password, Fanfiction wiped my whole profile and for a while, my pen-name was XXXXX. (Did anyone see that?) Tumblr deleted my blog, but I could care less.

So I couldn't recover my dA; I thought it'd be easier to just change my FF pen-name to match my new dA again. I had to tiresomely re-add all my Facebook friends to a new account and strenuously unlock my YouTube. Agh.

So atop all this stress, I'd already agreed to submit a contest entry for a dA group while I was still _Spleensleeves_. I'm very proud of this one.

**. . . . .**

**Title**: Don't Forget Me  
**Author: **Cephisco  
**Disclaimer: **I, Cephisco, do not own Naruto.  
**Contest Theme: **Halloween  
**Pairing: **SasuHina  
**Summary: **Halloween-fic. Contest entry one-shot. Sasuke plays a Halloween trick on Hinata. What he hadn't been expecting was being made to explain himself. SasuHina

**. . . . .**

Hyuuga Hinata glanced down at the paperback novel in her hands. _Romeo & Juliet, _by William Shakespeare. Printed centuries before her time and potentially ever more famed centuries after her time. A classic love story, a tale of a romantic tragedy; the passionate heroine and the dashing forbidden suitor, caught up in a wild whirlwind resulting in the ultimate sacrifice.

Hinata sighed as she grazed gentle fingertips over the glossy, intact cover. An antique, oil-painted picture of the celebrated balcony scene graced the surface. Her finger traced Romeo's red cape, Juliet's gown, her gold flaxen hair and the starry bejewelled sky above the legendary lovers.

Setting the novel onto the edge of the vanity, Hinata leaned forward and scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. She tolerated her natural appearance in exchange for a slightly uplifted self-confidence, but the days when she would never feel passable would never stop coming. Brushing dark hair behind her ear, Hinata set to work.

Her fingers rummaged in the pile of black pins littered across her vanity tabletop. She trapped a cluster of her hair to the back of her head with one hand as the other swiftly slid a pin to hold it in place. And one by one followed a succession of trial-and-error, sweeps and curls and knots and pin after pin.

Hinata flicked a stray tendril away from her face and glanced up. Her shoulders relaxed in slow relief; she didn't appear as horrid as she'd imagined herself to be, especially balancing this monstrosity of an untidy knot at the back of her head. Carefully she turned her head from side to side, as gently as she could.

_Not as heavy as I'd expected_, Hinata thought optimistically, lightly fingering one of the pins before reaching into the ceramic pot below for her makeup tools. She expertly swiped a significantly thin pencil-line of eyeliner around the edges of her pale Hyuuga trademarks and stepped back to survey the results.

Satisfied, she capped the pencil and redistributed it back into the ceramic pot of various pens and brushes, nibbling her lip contemplatively as she hesitated from tool to tool. She didn't wan to wear blush, or rouge or foundation; she really had no need. Her skin could be fair without assistance and would blush almost upon sheer will.

Mascara was unnecessary, and would only further enlarge her already-abnormally-big eyes. While not as bright or noticeable as Sakura's, they dominated the rest of her features and managed to always captivate attention with the help of dozens of layers and shadows the other village girls needed.

Lipstick would only overthrow the entire ideals of her costume. Instead, she dashed a splash of peachy, practically transparent gloss over her lips and pursed them together as she cast aside her makeup and busied herself with undressing.

The cotton terry dressing gown fell to her ankles as she let loose the knot at her waist. Beneath, Hinata adorned an extensive corset. She blushed in spite of herself as she scampered across the room to where her dress rested on a hook on the closet door, engaged between folds of transparent plastic wrap.

She unravelled the costume and stepped delicately into the dress, slipping her arms into the suffocating sleeves and strangling her hips through the tiny waist and into the full skirt. While it was pale pearl and ivory, an ornate ball-gown of satin, it had been the simplest of the selection of Halloween _Juliet _costumes.

Hinata frowned as she arched her back and sealed the gown shut. The costume in itself was high-maintenance. It would surely be a lot of work, trick-or-treating and keeping pace with her friends while she attempted to maintain the decorative gown in its condition. Especially with the dirt and stones and dry snow of the Konoha sidewalks.

She sighed softly to herself. She just hoped nothing would go wrong tonight.

**. . . . .**

To augment the Konoha's Historical Heroes and Heroines trend, Kiba had dressed as a Musketeer, his large feathery plume half-eaten by Akamaru as it drooped unceremoniously from the folds of his hat. His ridiculously decorative outfit was complimented with atrocious ruffles and astoundingly vivid colours.

As had Shino, who mussed his hair all the more to resemble an untidy heap of a brown nest on his head. In a clean-cut tuxedo of sorts straight from an earlier century with sheet music peeking from his breast pocket, he was an unmistakeable Ludwig van Beethoven – well, perhaps if he removed the shades, he would be…

Sakura was Marie Antoinette, stunning in her bright red gown. Larger than Hinata's, it sported white puffed sleeves and an off-the-shoulder collar, glittering crystal beads lining the bodice. Her cropped pink hair was entirely hidden beneath a wig of silky candlelight-white hair, looking as though it would topple at the slightest touch.

Naruto was Mr Charles Bennett of _Pride & Prejudice_, his golden hair slicked back from his forehead and his whiskers concealed with facial makeup. His suit was just as plain as Shino's, with fancy ruffles at the collar and a black riding jacket with long coat-tails. Tall, flat-footed boots disabled his gait considerably.

Tenten was Jane Eyre, her brown hair let loose of her buns to cascade down her shoulders and back in a wavy peasant, rustic fashion. A simple black dress that was tight to her shoulders and arms she wore, with a skirt that neither flared nor popped. It merely hung.

Neji was Heathcliff of _Wuthering Heights_, his long dark hair pulled into ponytail at the nape of his neck and the hair around his face slicked back in a similar manner to Naruto's. He was hard-faced and stoic as usual, though it seemed … slightly more befitting to his persona than it did to his normal self. Heathcliff could frown and glare all he wanted, but Hinata figured that Neji should be one to smile.

Lastly, Rock Lee was by far the most ridiculous; he'd even painted a moustache over his upper lip and clad himself in a commander's coat. When asked who he was meant to portray, Lee said, "Who else? The youthful and much passionate … Adolf Hitler!"

Following which Tenten had smacked him hard on the shoulder-blade and scowled, hissing menacingly, "For the last time, you're _Napoleon. _Hitler was _not _a hero. I will not let you have any positive thoughts about Hitler if it kills me."

After brief comparisons of trick-or-treat bag sizes and costume compliments, the lively crowd of eight had set off down the sidewalk, on their way to knock on doors and retrieve candy and showcase their costumes.

"Where's Team 10?" Kiba asked loudly, his bark of a voice cutting through all other sounds as easily as a knife through tender butter. "Aren't they coming?"

Sakura fidgeted, moving as though to shake her head in response, though she thought better of it for the sake of her enormous wig and slowly said, "No, Shikamaru was asked to take Asuma-sensei's son trick-or-treating tonight by Kurenai-sensei. Of course he said yes. He would do anything for Asuma-sensei's son."

Kiba snorted. "What do you know? The lazy ass is a pushover."

With the circumstance of her unsteady headpiece, Sakura was reduced to merely glowering at Kiba from her peripheral vision. "I think it's sweet. If anyone's being an ass here, it's you, Kiba."

Kiba opened his mouth to retort, but decided against it for he did not want to drive Sakura to the point of discarding her wig and attacking him; also because he felt shallow insulting a female. It was something he'd been taught not to do – by Tsume, by Hana, by Hinata, by Kurenai-sensei.

"So Ino," Sakura continued, slightly smug, "of course she _loves kids_, and she offered to tag along. Though I _do _think she has some ulterior motive there…" Sakura's smirk faltered as she sighed inwardly. She had a suspicion that Ino harboured a shaky infatuation for the Nara genius. "Anyway, Choji hadn't been planning to go out tonight at all, but he joined his teammates after deciding that free candy all night would be … advantageous."

"Of course," Naruto laughed, rolling his eyes. "Now if only Sasuke and Sai were that easy. I could just wave some candy in their faces and they'd be here now. But … Sasuke-teme hates sweets and Sai hasn't got a dick."

"Isn't that what he said about you?" Sakura smirked knowingly.

Naruto scoffed, averting his gaze. "Tch."

Sakura's smile disappeared as a silence encompassed the trick-or-treaters. "Perhaps we should drop by and visit Sasuke-kun, so he won't have to be lonely while everyone's out tonight. He should have the company of his friends, at least for a half hour or so."

Naruto, although entirely aware of Sakura's love for Sasuke, could not be so cold as to refuse the suggestion. He, too, felt brotherly empathy for the Uchiha. "Yeah, that's a good idea, Sakura-chan. Besides, this street hasn't got too many of its lights on, anyhow. We might as well skip it."

**. . . . .**

The eight teenagers approached the Uchiha compound with apprehension. Sasuke's light was out and the very exterior of the dark, hauntingly shadowy place sent chills up their spines.

"It doesn't look like he's home," Naruto muttered, squinting his eyes. "Even the windows aren't lit."

Kiba gulped, nervously admitting, "I don't like the feel of this place. It smells of blood and sweat and fear." Kiba and Akamaru simultaneously inched backward to the comfort of Shino's and Hinata's sides. Their sensitive noses twitched in unison, wrinkling at the unpleasantness of the atmosphere.

"Well, what do you expect?" Tenten snapped, though she, too, appeared wary of the compound. "There was a massacre, ten years ago, _here_!" Neji and Lee exchanged glances over her shoulder. Tenten's tone only grew violent when she was slightly affected or frightened.

"Let's try the front door anyway," Sakura suggested, her green eyes cautious and yet hopeful as she neared the doorstep. "We can't come here and not try."

Naruto nodded vehemently at her left as he closed the distance between the door and the group, bounding ahead to pound his fist on the wood. Once, twice, thrice. "Sasuke! Sasuke! Teme! Are you in there?"

Silence.

"It's us! It's me, Naruto! Open the door! Sasuke?"

Sakura sighed softly as her eyes flickered gingerly to the dark window. "I suppose there's no point in waiting around."

Just as she half-turned to leave, the door creaked open. Naruto grinned widely and ushered the seven indoors before stepping inside himself. He greeted Sasuke with a mute clap on the back and crossed over to his kitchen, not seeming to mind the lack of light in the compound.

Naruto helped himself to an apple from a crate in the pantry, wiping it briefly on his shirt before venturing a savoury bite. He nodded happily to no one in particular as he enjoyed the succulent apple in his mouth.

Hinata thought it very peculiar of a sight at that moment, to see a golden-haired Mr Bennett enjoying an apple so enthusiastically in the darkness. She smiled, glad that nobody could see.

But someone did. Someone with a Sharingan.

"We're trick-or-treating. Want to join us, Sasuke?" Naruto asked cheerily, seemingly unaffected by the thick tension in the compound.

Sasuke merely walked to the wall and flicked on a light switch. Blinking rapidly after the blinding of the sudden light, Hinata was astonished and slightly embarrassed to see Sasuke's onyx eyes staring at her as her eyelashes fluttered like stupid butterflies. She blushed and turned her face away.

Sakura, pleased for the light, hurried to turn the conversation back to Naruto's comment. "I-It's more just taking a walk around the city, Sasuke-kun," she amended quickly, knowing that Sasuke would not like the idea of treats; he also enjoyed taking walks. "It's not like anyone pulls tricks anymore."

Sasuke paused before he gave a seemingly non-committal "Hn."

"Is … that a no?" Sakura said slowly, uncertainly. Perhaps is Sasuke added a tone beneath his grunts, she might have been able to decipher his intentional meaning. It frustrated her at times, to feel as though she shared a poor bond of communication between herself and Sasuke.

Sasuke only nodded once, firmly.

"You're not even going to see Minamoto tonight, Sasuke?" Naruto grinned and tossed his apple core into the trash can expertly.

"Who's she?" Sakura snapped immediately. Hinata, from the corner of her eye, noticed Tenten nudge Neji and raise an eyebrow at Sakura's reaction; both teammates smirked slightly and Hinata softened at the admirably close connection between her cousin and older-sister-figure, Tenten.

"Minamoto is a little boy," Naruto chuckled. "Every Halloween since he returned to Konoha, Sasuke-teme's been spending an hour or so at his place. Minamoto buys tomatoes for Sasuke."

Hinata smiled into her lap, touched by the little boy's sweetness. She knew of Minamoto, the young orphan that Kurenai had once mentioned was Asuma's son's playmate at daycare. "C-Can I … use your restroom, Sasuke-san?" she asked suddenly, quietly.

She blushed as all eyes turned to her. Sasuke nodded and gestured to a narrow corridor further into the compound.

"I might," Sasuke said simply, to answer Naruto's question. It was still early in the evening; he would have plenty of time to visit the young boy later tonight.

Naruto nodded and rose from his seat, heading for the sink. "Guess we'll be going on, then. We've got some door-to-door work to do." He chuckled and wiped washed hands on a cloth.

Sakura parted her lips, no doubt to protest to stay a little while longer with Sasuke, but as she helplessly watched the others make beelines for the front door with eager-to-leave expressions, she sighed and followed suit.

And as the door shut, they all failed to notice that they'd left their Juliet behind.

.

Hinata washed her hands and dried them with a paper towel. She discarded the crumpled, damp sheet and stepped out of the Uchiha restroom into the dark hall. It was then she noticed that the light in the kitchen had been put out.

Had the others already left? They wouldn't forget about her … would they?

Hinata's shoulders sagged. She was all too easy to forget about and she knew it, too. Hinata was too engaged in the misery of being left alone that the fact she was in the Uchiha compound with Uchiha Sasuke happened to slip her mind momentarily.

She was also too despaired to even faintly notice the dominating genjutsu melting into her surroundings subtly.

But as she adjusted her hair and gathered her skirts in her hand, she began to realize that she hadn't stepped back into the kitchen at all. It seemed to her that she had taken the opposite direction, further into the compound's horrors, when really she was standing in the centre of Sasuke's kitchen, a blank look in her captivated eyes.

Hinata's eyes widened in lost confusion as she watched Tenten enter the room from behind her.

"Hinata? What are you doing so far into Sasuke's home? We should get back outside. The others sent me to look for you."

Hinata swallowed. "T-Tenten?"

Neji appeared behind her, then. "What's the hold-up, Tenten?"

Hinata's brow furrowed.

"Hinata seems to be exploring Sasuke's house," Tenten smiled. "Come along, Hinata, the others are waiting."

Hinata nodded violently and scampered over to the 'door' of the strange room, but before she could leave, she was roughly shoved by the shoulders, tumbling backward.

"No one's going anywhere." The cold, hard-edged voice of Sasuke lingered in the still air as Neji and Tenten were forced into the room as well.

To Hinata's dismay, Kiba and Akamaru proceeded to walk down the hall, their footfalls slow and terse as they called Hinata's name distantly. She shook her head vehemently at the open doorway, past Sasuke's silhouette, ignoring how her pins scattered the floor around her.

"Kiba-kun! G-Go back!" she shouted hoarsely, leaning forward on the palms of her hands. Attempting to scramble to her feet, Hinata was dismayed even more so when Sasuke flickered behind her with unbelievable speed.

His foot trapped the skirt of her dress; Hinata winced at the loud rip that ensued as her gown tore. Whirling around, she saw the bottom half of her skirts snagged beneath the floorboards below Sasuke's foot.

She frowned up at his face, but cringed and tensed at the unnerving expression on his face. A flash of silver was seen from his sleeve and in the seconds that Hinata was unable to form thoughts, a kunai was flung across the room.

She cried out, utterly afraid for her friend's life. Kiba's jacket was pinned against the wall by the door. Akamaru growled at the Uchiha as he sidestepped a silent Neji and Tenten and kicked the door shut nonchalantly.

"S-Sasuke-s-san…" Hinata whispered, strangled. She cast her gaze downwards at her feet. Kicking off the shoes that pinched her toes painfully, she ran an absent hand through her hair. Pins showered down from her dishevelled updo; she sighed, uncaring. It had been ruined earlier already; what was the point of hauling a head of out-of-place metal around?

"No one's going anywhere," Sasuke repeated coldly, motioning for Neji and Tenten to cross to Hinata's and Kiba's half of the room. The lock clicked shut behind Sasuke; he withdrew his hand from the knob and twisted a kunai into his fist.

"Let us out of here," Neji said calmly, "or duel me."

"There'll be none of that," Sasuke replied, raising a brow. His grip tightened around the kunai.

"Please," Tenten sobbed.

Sasuke ignored her. "If you want to live, you'll do what I say."

Kiba scowled and tugged the kunai out of the wall, freeing himself; he attempted to hurl the blade at Sasuke's unprotected back, but the Uchiha dropped to his feet in a low squat at the displacement of air from behind. Senses keen as ever.

"No one will be touching another weapon unless I give it to you."

Silence ensued. For what would Sasuke give them weapons?

"And certainly not with the intent to kill me."

Hinata held her breath.

"In this room, the Uchiha massacre happened ten years ago."

Hinata wondered why she could hear the sound of Neji's gulp, Tenten's shiver, Akamaru's whimper and Kiba's click of the teeth so clearly. Did fear enhance senses?

"Only I got out of this room alive."

Hinata's eyes widened. Uchiha Itachi was dead. Of course he was dead; Sasuke would surely not have returned to the village without fulfilling his intention to avenge his clan.

"And I'll decide which of you get out alive tonight."

"What does that entail?" Neji asked instantaneously, his face hardening.

Sasuke smirked. "Obedience."

Hinata gasped as he handed the kunai to Tenten.

"Eat a finger."

"NO!" Hinata screamed, scrambling on her knees across to where Tenten sat, working away at her finger, sawing off the bone with a flinch of determination. She tripped over her skirt and this time, disregarded the shriek of her tearing gown. "T-Tenten! _Stop it_!"

Hinata shut her eyes tightly from the first sight of blood. She had no problem with seeing blood – as long as it wasn't the blood of a close friend's. She gave little resistance when a leg prompted her to crawl miserably back to her prior position, unable to watch Tenten weeping as she attempted to tolerate the taste of her own finger.

"Good." Sasuke smirked in satisfaction at the severed finger. "Kiba."

Kiba instantly stood, scowling but nervous. She could see it in the way his eyes gleamed uncharacteristically with fear, the way he wet his lips.

"Akamaru swallowed a key. It'll open this door behind me." Sasuke tossed the kunai swiftly to Kiba, who caught it skilfully.

Hinata stared as Kiba contemplated the command. He examined the bloodied kunai with a sober expression, eyes darting back and forth between the door and his beloved dog. She knew what he had chosen before he said it aloud.

The wrong thing.

"Alright."

A hoarse sob escaped her throat as she watched Kiba fall to his knees. In a fell swipe, he slit open Akamaru's throat and blood cascaded onto snow-white fur. Hinata cringed audibly, her lips parting in horror and surprise as her palms scraped against the floor.

"Kiba-kun!" But her voice did little to shift Kiba's resolve. Was the will to survive surely so strong? These could not be her friends … "What have you d-done to t-t-them?" Hinata exclaimed, glancing up at Sasuke.

She cringed again as the Sharingan blinked back at her. "Nothing."

"S-S-Stop! Please, stop this!" Hinata pleaded, her eyes straining from their wideness.

But blood continued to leak across the floorboards, and he did nothing. When Kiba found the key, he stood and made for the door without a word; Sasuke reacted instantly.

The kunai in Sasuke's hand met with the back of Kiba's head. Hinata cried out, eyes stinging as Kiba collapsed in a heap at the foot of the door.

"Stupid," Sasuke muttered, loud enough for his echo to resound around the room. "No one's going anywhere."

And that's when Hinata and Neji realized they were never going to get out alive, no matter what Sasuke might have 'negotiated'. Tenten, having fainted from the taste of her own flesh, was the last thing on their minds at the moment.

Hinata screamed as Sasuke turned to face them once again. She backed up, pressing her spine and palms against the far wall. Neji began scanning the room with an activated Byakugan, though he kept his forward focus on Sasuke as the Uchiha approached Hinata from across the room.

Hinata screamed again and clutched at her hair, sinking down against the wall to her knees, tears streaming down her cheekbones. She was barely able to produce another coherent word in her state.

Sasuke, unarmed and nearing. With every step, she began to recite names. The names of those she'd loved. Over and over, in her mind.

But he didn't attack her. He didn't hurt her. He merely stepped forward and wrapped strong, warm arms around her.

Hinata blinked her eyes open, and as her surroundings swam into focus, she realized she was back in the kitchen again. Uchiha Sasuke had engulfed her in a soothing embrace; she hardly paid attention to his stroking her hair.

She buried her face into his shoulder. "Sasuke?" she murmured into his shirt. Had she been dreaming earlier?

"Sorry, I'm sorry, sorry…" Sasuke was muttering.

"I forgive y-you, but … what are you sorry f-for?" Hinata mumbled, gently pushing him away to meet his eyes.

However, to her surprise, he averted his gaze. "It was a genjutsu. I'm sorry for making you cry."

"A genjutsu?" Hinata repeated, her finger hovering on her lips. "B-B-But … but why?" she whispered.

"Halloween trick," Sasuke mumbled.

"Why?" Hinata repeated louder, a wracked sob escaping as she silently begged for him to look at her. When he did, his eyes widened at her tears and he shifted closer.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured again, a finger smudging at her tear-stained cheekbones. "Sometimes … sometimes boys … we do stupid things to pretty girls; we – we want their attention."

Hinata froze, wiping furiously at her tears with her sweaty palms. "I'm not pretty. L-L-Look at m-me…" She glanced down to face the truth of her words; her dress was torn to her knees, her hair dishevelled and hanging about her face and shoulders.

She felt like Cinderella after having been attacked by her stepsisters before the ball.

"Well, if I like you … you must be pretty, right?" Sasuke said, unusually gently.

Hinata's eyelashes fluttered delicately up in astonishment. "Y-You like m-me?"

In answer, Sasuke carefully helped her to her feet. Hinata was about to repeat her question, but she hardly had time to finish before Sasuke's lips were gently pressed to her upper lip. His lower lip lightly shifted at the opening of her mouth. Slightly taken aback, Hinata did not resist; instead, she parted her lips uncertainly.

Her hesitancy was wiped from her mind as the corners of Sasuke's mouth connected hard and fast with her own, suddenly aggressive as he took her flustered cheeks in his hands and she grasped at the folds of his shirt.

The kiss had her pressed up against the wall, lifted onto her toes. As his mouth moved against hers, Hinata's lips relaxed into a rhythm of comfort and surrender, delicately settling into lazy movements as she tasted his own dominating lips.

She'd figured he'd be one to like taking control, and so she was right.

As the kiss slowly faded into mere nips and pecks at one another's lips, Hinata dropped her arms to his waist, and his arms wrapped around her. She could sense his sudden hesitancy at her body against his, but she only smiled into his shoulder and held him tighter, as she dropped from her tiptoes to the ground.

Slightly breathless, Hinata was only faintly aware of Sasuke's hand leaving her waist. She could hear the doorknob turning, followed by the swing of the door as he opened it.

"Minamoto's light will be out in a little while," Sasuke said in explanation.

Hinata fidgeted with the short hem of her torn dress and ran a hand through her hair again in an attempt to tame its tangles. _So Sasuke is heading down to Minamoto's, just like he said he would … Is he forgetting about me?_

Again, she was facing the transparency of her own impact on others' minds. She was simply not a significant character; who would seriously bother to remember her?

"Would you hold something for me while I walk there?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

Hinata nodded absent-mindedly to his request, accustomed to being asked for favours and assistance rather than for company.

But when she glanced down at whatever he was proffering, she only saw an empty hand. Wiping away the last of her tears, she smiled widely and slipped her fingers through his.

"Of course."

**. . . . **

**CEPHISCO: **I'm very happy with this. So to answer a few questions – this began as _Being Juliet_, but I took it off of to revise it because I wasn't so happy with _that one_. Wish me luck! Hope I win…!


End file.
